Pest Control

Australian redback spiders found their way to New Zealand in the 1980s.  

These dangerously venomous spiders are now found in Central Otago and New Plymouth, where they pose a risk to both people and… Audio

A pilot using artificial technology to differentiate predators from native birds could be a game-changer for pest control. Audio

Aotearoa is a country plagued by pests, but conservationists are hoping advances in drone technology could turn the tables. Producer William Ray looks at how drones are being trialled in controlling… Video, Audio

The cash crops are going in and the last of the trading lambs are heading off at Tim Cookson's farm near Hororata in Canterbury. Audio

The Detail podcast brings you the issues behind the news every weekday. Here's what we covered this week. Audio

Conservation projects across the country risk losing progress as money gets tighter and budgets are slashed.  Audio

Kapiti distillers harvest kawakawa from their historic Wairarapa farm to make award-winning gin. They're also trialling growing juniper berries and planting more natives. Novel pest traps, a bottle… Audio

A team of hunters heads out every five weeks to a hill country farm to harvest deer meat for Tai Rawhiti's food banks which have been under pressure after devastating weather hit the region this year… Video, Audio

It's no easy task trying to rid Aotea Great Barrier Island of feral cats, rats and other pests. Audio

Billy Barton used to compete with ferrets as a past-time in his native Wales. Now he trains them and a pack of white shepherd dogs to hunt out rabbits and feral cats in NZ's war against pests. Audio

Two stories about genetics produced by students at the University of Otago's Department of Science Communication. Amanda Konyn investigates whether gene editing has a role in future pest control… Audio

Amanda Konyn, a student at the University of Otago's Department of Science Communication, investigates whether gene editing has a role in future pest control. Audio

No-one knows for sure who first introduced rabbits to New Zealand, because no-one wanted to take the blame for what became one of New Zealand's biggest environmental and economic disasters. We start… Video, Audio

A cute detection dog called Toby is helping an Otago pest control team track down wily wallabies crossing the Waitaki River.  The  Aussie imports are escaping South Canterbury's Wallaby Containment… Audio

Best of 2022 - Back in the 1950s, a group of wallabies turned up at Wainui Station... and never left.  Audio

Farmers, growers and regional authorities in the South Island are reporting large numbers of rabbits this year. Responsiblity for pest control falls to property owners under bylaws, and if a regional… Audio